Films that could have been...

[J.R.]

I read something on Tobe Hooper and one thing he talked about was why he didn't do Poltergeist 2. Apparently his and Spielberg's original idea wasn't being used-

Remember when the house got sucked into that ball of light at the end? The sequel was to begin with the National Guard cordoning off the area for miles around this ball of light, hovering 18 feet about sea level, in the exact same spot as before, while a team of scientists prepares, then enters it and encounters The Beast... Ah well, never meant to be I guess.

That's better than the actual film's idea. What was with the giant tequila worm anyway? And I also remember reading that at one time Hooper was to direct Return Of The Living Dead under Romero's production. That would've been sweet. And of course that segues into Romero's original Day Of The Dead script...

Anybody else heard of cool ideas that were abandoned?

[D]

I heard about Blues Brothers 2000. I heard they were suppose to have Jim Belushi (SP?) play Jake, and it would be a basic rehash of the first one, only they had to help their third brother mack (John Goodman) raise mony to play off some gangsters, followed up with more car stunts than the first

[Gerry]

Um, BLUES BROTHERS 2000 did happen.

<http://us.imdb.com/Title?0118747>

No sign of Jim Belushi though.

[Gerry]

John Boorman (EXCALIBUR, ZARDOZ)  wanted to do a live version of THE LORD OF THE RINGS in the late 70s. It would have been interesting to see what he could have done with it.

[Cullen]

Whether or not this is a cool idea depends on your point of view, I guess.  The IMDb [/ur] runs through a list of potential story lines for Godzilla v Gigan (AKA Godzilla on Monster Island ).  Here is a list of line ups that might have been, yet never were.

Godzilla Vs. The Space Monsters _____________________________________________

Godzilla, Angilas (the four legged dude with spikes on his back; the one who was always getting his butt handed to him), and Majin Tsuru (a rip off of Daimajin ) against Ghidorah, Gigan, and Megalon.  This doesn't sound too bad to me.  The "Majin" idea was later incorporated into King Caeser in Godzilla v the Bionic Monster .  

Too bad this one never came to be.  (Cost too much, no doubt.)

Return of King Ghidorah   ___________________________________________________

This one kills me.  Godzilla, Rodan (Rodan!), and Varan (the flying squirrel) against Ghidorah, Gigan, and Mogu (your guess is as good as mine).  Rodan!  King of the Skies!  Why not use him?  WHY?

And Varan.  Poor Varan.  One movie and a cameo summons up his career.  Too bad.

Same Subject, Different Series ________________________________________________

Around the same time as the Dino De Laurentiis "gem", King Kong , Universal studios was making their own Kong movie, The Legend of King Kong .  One has to wonder what that would have been like...
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[D]

My mistake. You see, that's what Blues Bothers 2 was suppose to be (at least until Belushi got under contract to that sitcom and they wouldn't let him go.) I should have mentioned that. Sorry
(at least that's what I've been able to find out from internet rumor and idle talk, does anyone else know anything differnet?)

[peter johnson]

There was supposed to have been a big-screen MGM adaptation of Ray Bradbury's "Martian Chronicles" around 1962 or so -- you can even read little blurbs about the project on the covers of the paperback reissues of the time.
Hammer wanted to do all the Quatermass scripts in the same full-color treatment they gave "Quatermass and The Pit" in 1965 -- you can tell from the way they open the film as if you've just stumbled into an ongoing conversation about the Martian bases -- there would've been a prequel to the film.  I suspect money was the trouble.  It usually is.
peter johnson

[J.R.]

I read that live-action and animated adaptations of The Lord Of The Rings were in development many times with various talents involved. Not only did Boorman consider doing a live-action version, The Beatles approached Stanley Kubrick about making it, but he decided the books were "unfilmable". Disney also decided not to do animated films in the 80's, apparently because making them family-friendly would alienate fans and making them true to the books would be too dark and violent. I bet they're kicking themselves in the butt now...

[Vermin Boy]

I recall reading that A Clockwork Orange was originally concieved as a vehicle for the Rolling Stones, with Ken Russel slated to direct.

Then, of course, there's One Eyed Jack's: Originally slated to be written by Sam Pekinpah and directed by Stanley Kubrick, both were fired simply because Marlon Brando wanted a shot at writing and directing (which should give you some idea of Brando's sheer clout)

[Squishy]

Cullen: please, don't worry about "The Legend of King Kong." While it supposedly had a kick-ass script by Bo Goldman, Universal was actually planning to make it a "Sensurround" feature. It's just as well it didn't get made; "Sensurround" is the second-most-irritating film gimmick on Earth (right after 3-D), and really, how really great can a new Kong script be, especially if later subjugated to a gimmick? To fans of the original, very difference becomes blasphemy, and every similarity becomes repetition.

Ew, I'm seeing the Dudley Moore cartoon in my head now, and it hurrrrts.

Right now, the only guy I'd trust to do a good Kong would be Peter Jackson. He expressed an interest at one point, and if he's still God Almighty after the third "Rings," maybe he can make it happen.

[Squishy]

Once again doing the research AFTER posting, I've found a webpage about Peter Jackson's "Kong" complete with a complete script!! Check it out!

[Squishy]

I'm not sure why the link didn't come up in my last message. Peter Jackson's "Kong."

[Squishy]

What the Hell? I don't know what's wrong. Okay, as text:

http://www.aboyd.com/kong/jacksonkong.html#

[raj]

No it didn't.  I deny the existence of such a, um, item.  John Belushi is dead, and there will not be a sequel to The Blues Brothers.

Repression can sometimes be a good thing.

[John]

Not exactly a movie, but before Star Trek: The Motion Picture came out, Paramount was planning a new Star Trek TV series with the original cast. I've read that some of the sets used in ST:TMP were actually built for the series.